Draft bar rigging for railway cars



Dec. 12, 1950 G. w. LOWRY DRAFT BAR RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS Fil'ed Jan. 10, 1947 INVENTOR q Glenn W Lou/1y 1&0.

ATTO R N EY Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES lATEN'l OFFICE DRAFT BAR RIGGING FUR RAILWAY CARS Glenn W. Lowry, Osborn, Ohio Application January 10, 1947, Serial No. 721,340

3 Claims. I

This invention relates to improvements in draft lbar rigging for railway cars, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a structure to reduce the shock on the train mechanism when coupling, uncoupling, or starting and stopping the train.

A further object of the invention isto provide a stock absorbing draft rigging adapted to be applied to railway equipment now in use.

The improvement is so constructed and arranged that any relative movement between the coupled cars, causing the cars to move away or toward each other, is entirely compensated for and silenced bythe continuous air pressure in the respective chambers formed'to cooperate with the ri ing.

Arranged in the frame of the rigging are chainbers which receive air from the train air line and springs to cooperate with the pressure to reinforce the operative movement of specifically located plungers to absorb the shock and noise of the coupling movement. The springs are arranged to cooperate with the plungers in the event the pressure in the cylinders is momentarily reduced.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved draft bar rigging.

Figure 2 is a central section of the same.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the usual railway car comprises a longitudinally disposed pair of spaced-apart sills I which are interconnected by transverse sills 2.

According to the present invention, a cylinder block 3 is longitudinally disposed between and. secured to the sills ll and formed with a core interrupted at the center by a partition t to provide front and rear pressure chambers 5 and 6. Surrounding the block 3 is a yoke I slidably mounted on the block and between the two longitudinal sills [-4. The yoke is longer than the block to provide for a slidable movement when the rigging is in operation.

In the forward pressure chamber 5 is a plunger 8, between which and the partition 4 is a spring 9. In advance of the plunger 8 and at the free end of the chamber 5 is a second plunger 59, and between this second plunger and the plunger 8 is a spring H. The outer end of plunger to is provided with a tapered projection 12 which fits in a corresponding seat in the end of a draw bar I3.

In the rear chamber 6 is a plunger 14, and

between this plunger and the partition 4 is a spring 15, and beyond this plunger and in the chamber 5 is a second plunger 15, between which and the plunger M is a spring H. The outer end of the plunger it bears against the yoke 1, so that at all times the springs and air when intro-- duced to the chambers retain the plungers between the draw bar and the end of the yoke.

Air supply pipes l8 and [9 leading from the train line so supply air to the chambers 5 and 6 between the plungers 8 and i4 and the partition 4. In each of pipes l8 and I9 is a check valve to retain pressure in the chambers in case pressure in the train line drops.

The forward end of the yoke I is enlarged at 28 to receive the draw bar I3, the latter having a slot 22 which registers with slots 23 in the enlargement 2t, and through these slots extends a pin 24 mounted in a slot 25 in the longitudinal sills !--l. The draw bar l3 and its coupling may be supported in the usual hanger (not shown).

In use, air pressure and the springs in chambers 5 and 6 force plungers B and I4 outwardly, which in turn compress springs H and ll, and by this compression the plungers l8 and I6 are forced outwardly in opposite directions against the end of the draw bar and the yoke. If, therefore, when through coupling of the cars, the draw bar is moved inwardly toward the block, the force of the blow is imparted to the plunger 10, spring H, plunger 8 and spring 9. Any such blow will absorb the shock, it depending upon the force exerted, and the extent of the coming into play of the amount of cushion will be absorbed by both the springs and air pressure in the chamber. The blow coupling is of course transmitted to the yoke i, which because of the air pressure and springs in chamber 5, will cause the plungers M and it to be forced outwardly, with the face of plunger following the yoke and in contact therewith.

Obviously, in view of the construction described, when a pull is exerted on the draw bar, the rear of the yoke will exert pressure on the plunger l6 and its associated parts, and thus cushion the movement. As the yoke 1 moves toward the end of the car when pull on the draw bar is exerted, it follows the plunger 18 in chamher 5 will follow the movement of the draw bar.

Obviously, any rearward or forward movement of the rigging will be reflected on the plun and springs in the respective chambers, so that unusual noise or damage to the rigging is reduced to a minimum.

What I claim is:

1. A draft bar rigging, comprising a slidable yoke formed at one end with an opening through which the draw bar passes, a rigid block confined in the yoke and on which the yoke slides, oppositely disposed independent chambers in the block, an end plunger in each chamber, the end plunger in the forward chamber having a tapered projection engaging in a similar shaped depression in the end ofthe draw bar, the end plunger in the rear chamber engaging the rear of the yoke, each said chamber having a second plunger with adjacent springs, pipes connected with the main train air line for introducing air pressure to the respective chambers behind the second-mentioned plungers, and check valves in the pipes to hold the pressure in the chambers when pressure in the train line falls.

2. A draft bar rigging, comprising a fixed block having a core divided by a central partition to provide oppositely disposed chambers, a spring next to the partition in each chamber,

a plunger in each chamber against which the end of-the draw :bar engaging the draw bar having a tapered seat to receive the tapered projection on the forward plunger in the front chamber.

3. In a draft bar rigging, the combination of a pair of spaced apart car sills, a block having a core divided by a central partition to provide oppositely disposed chambers; a spring next to the partition in each chamber, a plunger in each chamber against which the springs in the respective chambers bear, a second spring in each chamber engaging the respective plungers, and a second plunger in each chamber against which the second-mentioned springs engage, means for supplying the chambers with air pressure, a yoke located between and against the car sills and surrounding the block, means for securing the block to the sills, the outermost plunger in the rear chamber engaging the yoke, the forward end of the yoke having an opening, a draw bar extending through the opening in the yoke, the forward plunger in the front chamber.

GLENN W. LOWRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS p Name Date 711,345 Raders et a1 Oct. 14, 1902 1,376,480 Straw May 3, 1921 1,830,706 Mauk et a1. Nov. 3, 1931 2,203,542 Page June 4, 1940 

